Clive Rundle

Widely considered to be one of the forefathers of South African fashion design, the Zimbabwean-born, Johannesburg-raised Clive Rundle’s storied career has spanned over three decades. Having obtained a diploma in fashion design in 1983 from the Gordon Flack-Davidson Academy of Design in Johannesburg, Rundle spent the next four years traveling between Europe and the United States where he spent time refining his eye and gaining insight into the international market. Upon his return, he set up shop in his garage where he began producing the eponymous brand then known as Rundle Designs, before launching his first flagship boutique in 1989. Nine years later, Rundle showed at SA Fashion Week for the very first time. With numerous milestones under his belt, the South African designer describes one of his most career-defining moments as a three-month immersion programme in Antwerp in 2013 hosted by Anne Chapelle—the Belgian investor who is famed for supporting internationally renowned designers Haider Ackermann and Ann Demeulemeester. It was an experience he says transformed his approach to design forever.

When it comes to a design aesthetic, Rundle favors the unexpected. Ranging from the careful to the avant-garde, his garments are known for their unconventional silhouettes, impeccable tailoring, and richly textured fabrics. In a rare interview with BellaNaija, Rundle revealed some of the thinking behind his design process: “I look at my work and try to find a technical solution”, he said. “I don’t plan the design or get inspired by walking around, it’s something that’s in me. The fabric is the last application and at the same time it drives the whole collection.”

As far as achievements go, Rundle has a plethora under his belt. In 2010, he was selected as one of ten African designers to show at the Arise L’Afrique-à-Porter Fall 2010/2011 presentation in Paris, and in 2011, he was the subject of the exhibition Clive Rundle – About Memory at Johannesburg’s Afronovo Gallery. Rundle was invited to represent South Africa at the 2018 inaugural Commonwealth Fashion Exchange Design Exhibition held at Buckingham Palace, with a specially commissioned piece. He was more recently featured in the 2019 exhibition, “21 YEARS: Making Histories with South African Fashion Week”, held at Cape Town’s Zeitz Mocca Museum of Contemporary Art. “His work has purpose. And I don’t mean an ethereal purpose,” South African trend analyst and researcher Nicola Cooper commented on Rundle’s staying power. “Once a Clive Rundle garment hits a runway you know it is finished to perfection. He edits his collections fiercely and will only present work that has met a certain level of quality, detail, thought and critique.”